Car servicing
Advice on manufacturers warranty

My car service is due within the next 400km odometer reading. I have a Toyota Kluger. When I rang to book it in with Toyota, I was told it would cost $360+. The mechanic down the road (we took our previous car to him for years and thought he was great) said he charges $170.

So my question is, if I take it to my local mechanic will it have any effect on the car's warranty? I'm just worried that they will refuse to cover anything that may come up in the future if I haven't been taking the car to be serviced with them.

I always thought that you can take it anywhere you want as long as your service book is filled in and by a registered mechanic/service place and it didnt have to be the original dealer. They cant force you to take it back to them and imply that the warranty is invalid if you dont. I didnt think this was legal.

So my question is, if I take it to my local mechanic will it have any effect on the car's warranty? I'm just worried that they will refuse to cover anything that may come up in the future if I haven't been taking the car to be serviced with them.

TIA.

It depends on the wording of your warranaty and if you got an extra year or 2 thrown in for "free". An extended warranty offered by the dealer will usually 9 times out of 10 have a stipulation it must be serviced by that dealer (or anyone of the dealerships they own). The warranty that comes stock standard on the car (ie say all Mazda's have 3 years or 100,000km) on the otherhand will usually not have that stipulation and you will be "allowed" to get it serviced anywhere as long as you get the book stamped (ie you cannot do a backyard job on it, it has to go to a shop and ensure they stamp it)

QUOTE (SUSIE25 @ 09/11/2012, 04:37 PM)

I always thought that you can take it anywhere you want as long as your service book is filled in and by a registered mechanic/service place and it didnt have to be the original dealer. They cant force you to take it back to them and imply that the warranty is invalid if you dont. I didnt think this was legal.

Please see my reply above. I know this as my husband is mechanic and has worked in both dealerships and in non affilated shops. My mum has also worked for a car company (not in sales she did the admin stuff). If you agree to the dealer warranty you are agreeing to their terms which is normally that you get it serviced with them, otherwise what is the perk of throwing in an extended warranty? Also it will be in the contract you signed somewhere. When I brouht my car my DH asked the guy if the extended warranty would mean getting it serviced at the dealership. The guy was honest and said yes. Clearly a mechanic is not going to get an extended warranty but rather push for a different "freebie"

ETA: if youtake a dealer warranty it may overide the car warranty ie Mazada no longer take responsibility the dealer does. So check your contract/warranty info very carefully if you have taken out a dealer warranty.

Thanks for the replies. We bought our car as a used vehicle when it was 8 months old. So I'm not sure if we have to abide by the original purchasers warranty or if it's different as we are the second owners. We have the remaining balance of the new car warranty, so until 2014/100000km, whichever comes first.

I think I may just stick to Toyota servicing to avoid confusion or problems arising.

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